Assad warns of 'retaliation'

In an interview President Assad has suggested there would be retaliation by those aligned with him for any attack on Syria. US Secretary of State John Kerry will arrive in the UK later today ahead of talks with Foreign Secretary William Hague.

John Kerry is in Europe to court international support for a possible strike on Syria Credit: APTN

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the United States did not rule out the possibility of returning to the United Nations Security Council to secure a resolution on Syria once U.N. inspectors complete their report.

Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Kerry said President Barack Obama had yet to make a decision on the issue.

"The end of this civil war is going to require a political solution.

"There is no military solution. What the US is seeking - not alone, but together with others - is to enforce the standard with respect to the use of chemical weapons," he said.

"We are not seeking to become engaged in, or party to, Syria's civil war", he said.

John Kerry is in Vilnius courting EU support for a strike on Syria. Credit: REUTERS/Susan Walsh/Pool

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has welcomed a European Union statement on Saturday that said there appeared to be strong evidence that the Syrian government carried out a chemical attack on civilians last month.

Speaking after meeting EU foreign ministers in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Mr Kerry said: "We are very grateful for the statement that came out of the meeting today with respect to Syria -a strong statement about the need for accountability."